Quick Answer
The answer is the Reader role. This built-in role grants read-only access to all Azure resources, including cost data, while explicitly preventing any create, modify, or delete actions, making it the precise choice when you need a user to view cost data without modifying resources. On the AZ-104 exam, this tests your understanding of Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and the principle of least privilege—a common trap is confusing the Reader role with the Cost Management Reader, but the standard Reader role already includes read access to cost data at the subscription or resource group scope. A helpful memory tip: think of the Reader role as “eyes only”—it lets you see the bill but never touch the meter.
This AZ-104 practice question tests your understanding of manage azure identities and governance. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
You need to ensure that a user can view cost data for Azure resources but cannot create or modify those resources. Which built-in role should you assign at the required scope?
Owner
Why wrong: Owner grants broad management rights and role assignment permissions.
Contributor
Why wrong: Contributor allows modifying and creating resources.
Reader
Reader is the least-privileged role for view-only access.
User Access Administrator
Why wrong: User Access Administrator manages access assignments rather than providing simple read-only access.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Reader
The Reader role provides read-only access to Azure resources, including cost data, while explicitly preventing any create, modify, or delete actions. This is the correct built-in role for a user who needs to view cost information but not manage resources.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Owner
Why it's wrong here
Owner grants broad management rights and role assignment permissions.
Contributor
Why it's wrong here
Contributor allows modifying and creating resources.
Reader
Why this is correct
Reader is the least-privileged role for view-only access.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
User Access Administrator
Why it's wrong here
User Access Administrator manages access assignments rather than providing simple read-only access.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the Contributor role (which allows resource management but not access control) with the Reader role, or incorrectly assume that viewing cost data requires a specialized role like Cost Management Reader, when in fact the standard Reader role at the subscription scope includes cost data access.
Detailed technical explanation
The Reader role uses Azure RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) with a role definition that includes 'Microsoft.CostManagement/query/action' and 'Microsoft.CostManagement/exports/action' permissions for reading cost data, but excludes any write operations like 'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/write'. In a real-world scenario, a finance team member might be assigned the Reader role at the subscription scope to view cost analysis and budgets without being able to accidentally modify production resources.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
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FAQ
Manage Azure Identities and Governance — This question tests Manage Azure Identities and Governance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Reader — The Reader role provides read-only access to Azure resources, including cost data, while explicitly preventing any create, modify, or delete actions. This is the correct built-in role for a user who needs to view cost information but not manage resources.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This AZ-104 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Microsoft certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the AZ-104 exam.
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